


The Frog Prince ~ Fractured Fairy Tale

by tsukemennoodles



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Alternate Universe - Fairy Tale, Anal Sex, Barebacking, Bottom Keith (Voltron), Bottom Shiro (Voltron), Emotional, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Eventual Fluff, Fairy Tale Curses, Fractured Fairy Tale, Froggy Prince Shiro, Haggar can be really creepy, Human Experimentation, Hurt/Comfort, Injury, Keith is Shiro's knight in shining armor, Loss, M/M, Magic, Manipulation, Non-con in chapter 3, OC meaning unnamed family members, Oral Sex, Original Character Death(s), References to Depression, Rimming, Shiro (Voltron) Needs a Hug, Shiro goes through a lot, Slow Burn, Smut, So no focus on any OCs, They both switch positions
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-05-02
Updated: 2018-06-23
Packaged: 2019-05-01 10:06:53
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 3
Words: 13,672
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14518140
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/tsukemennoodles/pseuds/tsukemennoodles
Summary: Once upon a time there was a handsome prince named Shirogane Takashi, but what happens when the evil sorceress Haggar sees an opportunity to get revenge, turn the kingdom upside down, and turn the prince into a frog?This is a fractured fairy tale of "The Frog Prince" and how one little frog can save his kingdom and find love on the way.Shiro is a self-sacrificing prince who recently passed a law to prevent human and animal experimentation.  He fights for the safety and well-being for others, but can he save himself?  He has experienced so much loss that he fears being lost himself.Keith is a prince from a neighboring kingdom whose choices may have brought a war upon them.This story is inspired by the Brothers Grimm version, but is its own adventure too.ETA: Rape/Non-con in chapter 3 (explicit)





	1. Chapter 1

Shadows curled around the walls of a tall chamber and permeated the dank, cold walls creating an abyss of musty darkness. Haggar scrapped her bony fingers against the small window overlooking a shining white castle that glistened in the distance.

Her glowing yellow eyes squinted into a glare as she pulled back the blackout curtain and saw the gleaming, glistening white of the castle flashing light into her dim workspace and she could hear a joyous symphony sending resounding melodies throughout the land. Haggar snapped the curtain back over the window with a snarl.

Hearing the happy chatter and cheers of the guests arriving at the castle’s ball was enough to make her feelings of disgust increase tenfold. She relished in the memories of when she “cursed” the queen of the Shirogane kingdom and how wonderfully quiet and solemn the kingdom had become.

She remembered the rage she felt when the queen had given birth to the first and only heir to the kingdom, Takashi Shirogane, and how happy and joyous the kingdom became. After what seemed like endless balls and celebrations with the citizens and neighboring kingdoms she clandestinely came up with a monstrous plan to cast a spell to make the queen appear ill. The queen slowly lost all of her strength as Haggar had slowly harnessed her life energy quintessence.

The queen eventually became like a lifeless husk, and even the royal sorcerer, Sam Holt, couldn’t discern what had happened to the beloved queen. Haggar enjoyed watching the kingdom suffer. The loving prince was careful and protective around his mother and Haggar laughed at his feeble attempts to cheer his mother up or when he tried to get her to smile.

Haggar enjoyed toying with the prince’s feelings and seeing him sad, lonely, and suffering when his mother did not reciprocate his affections made her cackle.

One day the young prince tried to find a magical flower that was rumored to be able to cure any illness, but this was just a ruse Haggar had used to get the prince to be alone in the woods. She wanted the heir to the Shirogane kingdom to suffer. The witch had sent one of her creations that she called a “robeast” to lie in wait to attack the prince upon his arrival.

The magical creature was large in stature and sent dark beams of magic flying toward Shiro, but he managed to dodge them. He twirled around and the robeast was only able to hit a tuft of the prince’s raven black hair, turning it pure white. The prince was able to defeat the powerful monster with the help of his best friend, Matt, the royal sorcerer’s son. Haggar was furious that two 10-year old boys could defeat her powerful creature, and this only helped to build her resentment, but it also propelled her to create even darker, more powerful experiments.

Although Shiro had survived the encounter, his father, the king, had since made a point to have the prince always with an entourage of guards making it difficult for Haggar to continue pursuit.

The queen died shortly after Shiro was attacked and the kingdom fell into grief and despair. Haggar loved the days of quiet so she could focus on her research and experiment on various humans who got lost in their travels and animals nearby. After all her own cat, Kova, would have died if she had not experimented on her with quintessence, so experimentation was a very good thing indeed.

Haggar pulled herself out of her reverie when she remembered why there was a ball and celebration in the first place. The prince she used to love to toy with had made it his goal to make human and animal magical experimentation illegal, and the party was to celebrate the passing of the new law. In Haggar’s mind, Prince Shiro spearheaded and crusaded a campaign directly against her and she believed he needed to be punished.

~~

The crisp air became more noticeable as the sun hid behind wisps of graying clouds. Shiro shivered as a gust of wind swirled by chilling his skin on the late autumn afternoon. He took a deep breath and relished in the freshness of the green grass beneath him, the rustling leaves that were changing into hues of golds and reds, and the light babbling sounds of the small river that meandered into the castle grounds with a random koi fish flicking sparkling water into the air.

He stared at the golden koi fish thinking about the legend where if they could fight against the water’s current upstream and through all of the difficulties they encounter, to the top of a waterfall, that they will be granted their wish to become dragons. Most koi ended up following the flow of the river, too tired to continue, but one koi fought against the grain. No matter how much the one little koi was mocked for his efforts, he persevered, and after a hundred years, he made it to the top and became a dragon.

Shiro sighed wistfully and wished he had the strength and perseverance to make his own dreams and aspirations come true. And there was nothing more he wanted than the freedom to leave the castle and become like a dragon so he could fly toward the stars in the night sky, but for now he had to make do with a small forest at the edge of the castle’s courtyard. After all, he was the crown prince and he promised his mother that he would always try his best to protect the kingdom, even though he wasn’t even sure she could hear him make this vow in her catatonic state.

“I guess we should be heading back soon, the party can’t start without the guest of honor,” Matt said with an exaggerated grin as he wiggled his eyebrows.

Shiro was pulled out of his musings and rolled his eyes playfully, “yeah, sure. I guess I don’t see why we even need a party for this. We are just trying to defend basic human and animal rights. It’s not something to celebrate, it’s something we should have done a long time ago.”

Matt sighed, “yeah, but there hasn’t been a party in FOREVER so of course they are just looking for excuses for a good time.”

Pidge was working on finishing a robot she started building over the past few weeks, and just nodded along to what her older brother said, not really listening. She already named the robot device she was working on, “Rover,” and she was dead set on getting it to activate so she could teach and program it how to do everything from chores to DNA analysis.

Shiro’s steel grey eyes shifted over to a little lop-eared gray and white speckled bunny that had hopped up next to Pidge watching her work on Rover.

“Heh, I guess Pidge and Rover already made a new friend.” Shiro slowly walked over to the little bunny, allowed him to sniff his hand, and patiently waited for the bunny to get to know him. Within seconds the bunny nuzzled against the warmth of his large hand and Shiro smiled softly as he gently pet him. Although Shiro had an over 6-foot frame with powerful muscles, he was always respectful and gentle with animals, and they tended to pick up on that and were often drawn to him.

It was Matt’s turn to roll his eyes, “you are a big softy you know. And I guess that’s why you fight for the little guys to have rights.” Matt gestured toward the bunny and smiled, “can’t imagine you not wanting to help insects too.”

Shiro deadpanned and glared at Matt, but continued to gently pet the bunny. “Okay, even I have a limit with insect protection....Besides no one would let me add that part.”

Matt guffawed, “you tried!?!” Shiro gave him a serious expression that collapsed into gentle laughter, “haha, kinda? I guess I just tried to include things in the law to see how far they would let me go. Royal advisor Iverson was looking at me like I was insane, and it’s not in there now so you know how that went.”

Before Matt could respond, Pidge hit her activation key and Rover began to glow. He floated next to Pidge and made a few happy beeps in a Morse code style and Pidge’s eyes sparkled with happy satisfaction. “You are so cute!!!” Pidge hugged Rover and fell back onto the grass.

Pidge smiled, finally paying more attention as she finished her final touches on Rover, “still though I think it’s great to prevent human and animal magical experimentation, especially since Dad always said that no sorcerer worth anything should ever harm other living creatures. Plus why even do that when you can make cute things like Rover?”

Matt sighed, “well that too, but after that thing we saw in the woods a few years back...ugh I still get chills thinking about it...I don’t know if it was a person, an animal, or what...it was a monster and an aggressive one at that.”

Even though Matt was an apprentice sorcerer being trained by his father, he had never seen anything quite like that magical creature in the woods. He remembered seeing Shiro fighting it off within an inch of his life and joined in the fray without any hesitation. Even though he viewed himself as a bit of a nerd and not a fighter, the thought of losing his oldest friend scared him more than the monster did.

Shiro shuddered a little remembering how traumatizing that event had been and how his mother died shortly after. He felt his pulse quicken and could feel cold sweat at the back of his neck. Before he was pulled too deeply into the memory, he distracted his mind and focused on calming and soothing himself. He focused on the soft grey and white fur of the bunny he was petting and the softness of the fresh green grass beneath him.

With his free hand, he unconsciously began to twirl the white tuft of forelock hair on his own head. “Yeah...in retrospect all I can think about is how much that creature suffered before it became....whatever it was,” he frowned and closed his eyes.

Matt sighed softly, “well...it’s out of its misery now and hopefully with this law passing there will be less experiments happening. I don’t think the law will get everyone to stop though...it’s not like it will be an easy law to enforce.”

Shiro agreed wholeheartedly and that had been a point of debate. How do you get people to stop magical experimentation on people and animals if you don’t know that they are engaging in it? But at least making the activity against the law allowed for less people and animals being hurt and even if it only saves one person or even just one bunny, it was worth all of the effort to him.

Pidge smirked, “well Matt, I can make Rover some siblings and they can scan around to monitor stuff like that.”

Matt chuckled, “sure and let’s also spy on everyone and invade their privacy. Come on Pidge, you know no one would ever be okay with that, besides, Rover is one of a kind.” Matt patted Rover and Rover beeped back at him affirmatively.

Pidge frowned and nodded, “yeah I hate it when you make sense.”

Shiro nodded, “it’s a scary thing when Matt makes sense.”

Matt nodded, “Yeah I guess it is pretty rare.” He laughed and snorted a little at his own expense and picked himself up from the grassy patch he was sitting on. “Okay guys, it’s getting really cold and dark so we better head back. Besides it looks like there are already guests here and the music started already.”

The trio and Rover headed back to the palace on the way becoming entranced by the rich, melodious music coming from the ballroom. The castle was completely lit up with sparkling lights everywhere and for the first time in almost two decades, it looked alive again.

~~

Pidge and Matt joined their father and mother in the ballroom, sending Rover up to their quarters to avoid getting too many questions. Matt grinned dopily and drooled wondering if Princess Allura of Altea would be coming. His eyes looked as though they were hearts with little stars in them.

Pidge rolled her eyes at her brother and elbowed him gently, “come on Matt, if you keep acting like that Allura is going to start avoiding you. She actually has class you know.”

Matt nodded, “boy does she.” He became lost in his daydream and bounced up and down excited to see the princess. Pidge shrugged and decided to go check out the food.

Shiro looked over at his friends and smiled. He could tell by the expression on Matt’s face that he was thinking about his crush and was completely lost in thoughts. Shiro took a deep breath and sighed a little. While he was the crown prince of the kingdom and he was able to take charge when needed, he also was extremely nervous in front of large groups of people. He felt comfortable when he had a cause to focus on or when he was passionate about something.

He didn’t have any trouble gathering up support and funding to create this law, but now that the law had passed, he felt extremely vulnerable to be the center of attention. He felt like an oxymoron since he was the prince and it was predestined for him to be the center of attention whether he wanted it or not. He knew he could be a good leader and he worked relentlessly, never taking time to focus on himself or how he feels. He never even processed the loss of his own mother, as he was too busy supporting his kingdom since the young age of 10.

He unconsciously fluffed his forelock twisting some of the white hairs between his fingers, trying to self-soothe. He sighed as he looked up at a painting of his mother centered in the grand ballroom filled with gold and light blue fabrics, twinkling lights, and marble sculptures. Shiro’s expression softened as he looked at her eyes in the painting seeing their soft steel grey color reflected his own.

 _I wonder if you would be proud of me....I wish I got to know you._ Shiro felt his eyes water slightly and quickly changed his train of thought. He stretched his arms and took a deep breath. _Gotta pull it together._ Shiro smiled his trademark grin and presented himself with an air of confidence even though inside he wondered if he was broken. He felt sad, but for some reason he avoided it and pushed it deep down to the point where he was wondering if he ever genuinely felt any feelings at all. He had a role to play and that role didn’t have room for anything but his feigned confidence.

~~

Shiro’s speeches went smoothly and no one had noticed his internal state of anxiety and grief. His father took over and he finally had a moment to pull out of the spotlight and went out to his favorite balcony. It overlooked his mother’s garden that glistened in the moonlight. He looked up at the sky with his heart full of something he couldn’t explain. When he looked at the stars and the moon, he felt like he was at home. He saw adventure in the night sky, but also he found comfort in the blanket of twinkling lights.

The crisp chill in the air made him shiver but he stood stoically after all he was a master of hiding how he felt.

“Gee Shiro, how the heck are you standing out here? It’s so freaking cold!!!!!!,” Matt said with his teeth chattering.

Shiro glanced back, “it doesn’t bother me. But yeah I guess I better head back in before they notice I’m gone.”

Matt sighed and put his hand on Shiro’s shoulder, “don’t worry about it. They are so busy eating, drinking, and dancing that they won’t notice.”

Shiro smiled, “yeah good point. So how does it feel being an uncle?”  


Matt’s expression changed to one of shock and horror, “what!? Ehhh?? No way, not Pidge! Uh-uh no...”

Shiro chuckled, “I meant Rover.”

Matt glared at Shiro, “okay first, don't scare me like that. And second, it’s FREAKING AMAZING!!! Rover already helped mom out with a bunch of things when we were getting ready for the party and dad already stared inputting some minor spell codes into him.”

Shiro smiled, it was at times like these he wished he had a sibling or someone he could rely on. Sure his dad was alive and well, but he was extremely pragmatic and often left Shiro to be raised by the servants and trained by advisor Iverson. The only thing his father was present for was when he had large achievements such as the law he recently passed. Shiro began to wonder if the vulnerability he felt earlier was because of the crowd, or because his father was watching him with a judging eye.

Matt chattered about random topics involving Rover and some antics he had planned. Shiro nodded, half-listening thinking about when he first started spending more time with the Holts. Since Samuel Holt was the head sorcerer of the kingdom, he was often seen with royal advisor Iverson. The two of them were the powerhouse behind the kingdom and they created a stronghold that left other countries trying to build alliances rather than waging wars.

He found Colleen Holt to be like a second mother to him. He knew she likely felt pity for the young prince whose own sickly mother never had energy for him, but she never said so. She always celebrated his small accomplishments from losing his first tooth to winning a duel against Iverson, invited him to family meals, bandaged him up when he got hurt, and gave him hugs when he needed them. Shiro never really cried, but he felt that he would feel comfortable crying in her presence. Matt and Pidge were like siblings in a way, but at the same time, his relationship with them paled in comparison to their bond with each other.

Even though he loved them all dearly, it felt like he was intruding into their family. When he sat down to eat with them, they all treated him as family, but for him, he felt like he was trapped behind a window, watching a beautiful family scene that he wasn’t really part of. He knew this wasn’t because of their lack of trying to make him feel included, but it was his own feeling of separation that made it difficult for him to ever feel truly part of it.

Matt smiled, “so Allura looked my way today and even smiled at me.”

“Well then we better start planning the celebration and get the wedding bells ready,” Shiro smirked.

Matt pouted, “aww come on!....Besides I’d let her plan the wedding.”

The two shared a laugh and as the party quieted down, they returned to their rooms for a restful night sleep.

~~

Haggar stared at the palace as the party died down. She lived in the middle of the forest, but contrary to her magical nature, the house looked mundane and quaint—at least from the outside, because her basement was anything but normal. It was where she performed her heinous acts and where she had created a magical seal so no one would know the nefarious evil deeds she committed.

Haggar slowly entered her house and walked down her basement steps. She passed by sacks of flour and sugar, dried fruits, and her gardening tools. She cast a spell to make one of the storage shelves move to the side, revealing an invisible door. She cast yet another spell to release the magical lock and entered, making sure to return the shelf to its original space.

Haggar entered her magical chamber and walked passed wall chains, torture devices, restraining tables, and cages that held creatures she was more than excited to experiment on. However that would have to wait, she had a bigger fish to fry. 

She grinned as she gathered a plethora of tubes, jars, and canisters of ingredients. Haggar pulled out a glowing tube of quintessence, the essence of life itself, and smiled wickedly. The shimmering liquid exuded powerful magic that was harnessed from none other than the queen herself. She hatched a plan that she felt was rather hilariously fitting and also would help her to attain more power.

Haggar began to draw glowing purple circles with symbols all over the floor of the magical chamber of her stone abode. The sorceress cackled as she placed a cauldron in the middle of the center circle. She started a magical fire and began to throw a myriad of ingredients to it. A putrid smelling smoke wafted into the air, but that didn’t slow Haggar down.

She chanted as she added parts of animals that were no longer recognizable, slimy plants, and a vial of green, viscous, mucus-like goo. She increased the speed of her chanting, waving her bony arms around the pot, sending sparks of purple across the room. She poured in some quintessence making the potion release a plume of sparkling gold and purple smoke.

She began to harness even more energy from a purple crystal she was holding that she used to amplify her powers. This crystal was supposedly made of pure concentrated quintessence that was a shard that fell off a trans-reality comet centuries before.

Haggar inherited it from her family who were originally from the country of Altea; however, Altea had previously outlawed all magic that wasn’t performed specifically for the purpose of healing. So Haggar created her own place in the Shirogane Kingdom, but thanks to the idiotic prince, the country may soon become like another Altea. But she would make sure that wouldn’t happen.

Haggar gripped the purple stone, letting it resonate with the quintessence in the cauldron. She continued to cast her spell and eventually the smoke was gone, leaving a clear liquid that looked no different than water in the pot. Haggar released the crystal and fell to her knees, out of breath. She poured her heart and soul into this potion and even though she was exhausted, it was beyond worth it.

She pulled her stringy, white hair behind her neck and got onto her feet. She slowly made her way over to her collection of bottles and filled one up with her potion. She chucked to herself, _if that stupid prince wants to save the animals then he should be one_.

All she needed now was to get the prince alone.


	2. Chapter 2

Shiro stretched his powerful muscles and rubbed the sleep out of his eyes with a yawn. He debated on snuggling into his soft, cozy blankets longer, wanting to stay in their warm embrace, but he gave in to his usual habit of getting up early. He rolled out of his comfortable burrito, pushing the soft black cat patterned blankets down.

Shiro listened to a little bluebird chirping by his window and smiled softly, “You always greet me in the morning; I’m glad you’re here little buddy.” Shiro popped open the window and gave the little guy a pet on his head and handed him a little bit of millet seed and watched him eat up happily. He continued to pet him until he noticed the time.

He grabbed his black jogging gear with dark purple and white trim, and quickly got ready before he lost the battle to a warm, inviting bed that was beckoning him to return. He woke up rather early on a daily basis, and he felt it was his duty to always be ready first thing in the morning so he could get the day started and that usually meant not getting enough sleep.

The morning fog rolled over the horizon, pushing the staleness of the previous night’s air away. The pale grey mist was cool and refreshing after a long night of being surrounded by so many people. While Shiro could play the part of a people person, there was a difference being around people who are friendly and people who feigned niceties just to have a chance to get in the crown’s favor. There was something about people who were disingenuous and pretentious that left him feeling empty and hollow. Even when Shiro was surrounded by others, he always felt alone.

Shiro loved the fog during the day since he viewed it as a blanket of protection around him, kind of like the stars at night. He enjoyed foggy mornings and clear nights the most since they gave him a semblance of safety. Also the cooling fog felt great when he went on his morning jog, it was like nature’s air conditioning. Since the palace was in an inlet near the sea, the fog always rolled in during early morning and cleared off by the afternoon.

Shiro waved at his window bird buddy and began to stretch. He pulled his strong arms across his body undoing all of the kinks and stiffness from his awkward sleeping position the night before. He took a swig of water and began his morning pushup routine. While he wasn’t really a morning person, he forced himself into some habits thanks to advisor Iverson’s constant persuasion. Shiro stopped at the palace kitchen to grab some food to go and quickly headed out of the pristine white building.

Shiro then began his morning jog that typically went through the palace, down the courtyard, and through the little forest area that went toward the palace gates. Shiro politely waved at the guards as he headed out of the castle on his typical morning regimen. He enjoyed the cooling weather and kept his pace up, traveling down the paths looping around the river bend.

He journeyed close to the palace ground gates and meandered back up through the forest until he stopped at the beautiful lake at the forest’s edge. He started to slow his pace to cool down and sat by the water watching the way the water’s calm surface moved whenever a fish came up to flick water and when the turtles journeyed across it for food. He loved watching the way the ducks swam and how they would fly off without a care in the world.

Shiro didn't notice one animal in particular that was staring at him with glowing yellow eyes from the top of a tree. Kova’s lithe form and swift reflexes gave her ninja-like maneuverability and her dark fur with wisps of gray and purple allowed her to avoid being seen. Shiro shivers for a moment and looks up to observe his surroundings. He feels sweat drip on the back of his neck, but attributes it to him just coming down from an exercise high.

Shiro stretched his legs and took a big gulp from his water bottle, feeling refreshed and ready to take on the world. Up above, Kova’s heated gaze was piercing through him as though she could see every thought and feeling in his heart, mind, and soul.

Shiro felt a little uneasy, but nestled himself comfortably next to the tree. He saw the little bunny from the previous day and gave the little guy some parsley and dandelion greens he snuck from the kitchen before he left. The bunny voraciously scarfed down all the goodies, munching away, which made Shiro’s heart melt.

“It’s okay little guy. You can take your time,” Shiro gently pet the bunny as he relaxed listening to the little munching sounds the bunny made and the sound of the birds singing. The little bunny’s lop ear perked up toward Kova’s location and Shiro looked up to see nothing but leaves. Kova leapt to the edge of the forest looking from afar, gathering intel on the prince’s routine.

Shiro ate his breakfast at the water’s edge, finished his workout routine, and returned to his typical palace duties. He felt like everyday was the same as the one before and fantasized about the world outside of the castle. He rarely gave himself the opportunity to focus on himself and his own wants and desires, and when he did he always felt a lot of guilt after for even daydreaming about his life being a little different.

~~

Haggar squinted as she watched Shiro through Kova’s eerie eyes. She smirked as she saw little glimpses of opportunities for her attack, but she would be patient and wait for the perfect moment that would not fail. Haggar was quick to gather up allies to support her cause, including a commander from the Marmoran kingdom who was recently exiled named Sendak. She explained to him that soon they would be able to manipulate the Shirogane kingdom to do their bidding, and Sendak was far too ready to get revenge against the Marmorans who sent him away.

Sendak was manipulative in his own right, but he was also fiercely loyal to his cause. He was supporting Haggar’s deceased husband, Zarkon, the leader of the Galra in taking over the Marmoran kingdom from Queen Krolia in the name of the Galra. Sendak had originally been from the Galran kingdom before it was destroyed and integrated into the Altean kingdom, but even Sendak knew he was no match for the Alteans...yet.

After Zarkon’s defeat, he continued to clandestinely push Zarkon’s cause among the Galran refugees in the Marmoran ranks. Sendak was caught by Kolivan, captain of the Queen’s guard, when he tried to convert some of the military to his side.

Sendak’s teeth clenched. He believed in the phrase ‘victory or death’ and when Prince Keith decided to let him live, he was disgraced. While Prince Keith wasn’t the most empathetic person in the world, he didn’t see a point in killing someone who had already lost. Sendak would make the prince regret making that decision and he was willing help the evil witch Haggar in any way possible to make that happen.

Haggar waved her arms around, continuing her espionage on the unsuspecting Prince Shiro. Sendak rolled his pupiless eyes and stretched out his new mechanical arm that Haggar had upgraded in preparation of upcoming events. He looked at the array of Haggar’s experiments and internally shuddered upon the realization that in a way he was now one of her experiments too.

“Are you done yet, witch?,” Sendak drawled as he placed a cybernetic lens over his eye to sync with his arm.

“Patience, it won’t be much longer,” Haggar replied without blinking.

Sendak smirked as fellow allies, Axca, Ezor, Zethrid, and Narti arrived with Zarkon’s son, Lotor. While he despised them, he was all too happy to have them around as dispensable pawns in his quest for revenge. The group stayed out of Haggars lair as they knew that the nefarious work was dangerous and required the utmost concentration. Sendak returned upstairs to spar with his new comrades.

Ezor sulked her shoulders, “Soooooo when can we finally do something fun? I’m so bored.”

Axca rolled her eyes, “come on let’s train and stay on alert, if someone got wind of this, the whole thing could blow up in smoke.”

Narti just stood silently, observing. Lotor smirked, “we have waited a long time for this, and thanks to the witch, we’ve been given an opening.”

Below in the witch’s chamber, Haggar focused on the prince’s routine and was not letting her rambunctious allies interrupt her concentration. She knew those idiots would have fun with the kingdom once she was done with her own revenge against the prince.

~~

Shiro frowned as Iverson beat him in a duel, but conceded with honor.

Iverson glared at the prince, “are you even trying, cadet?”

Shiro nodded, “yes, sir!”

Iverson frowned, “then don’t be a waste of my time. You need to focus. I don't care if you were up all night partying, you should always be ready for a battle. You never know when shit is gonna storm, so you need to be prepared!”

Shiro nodded with gusto, “yes, sir!”

Iverson yelled, “again!”

Shiro got into a fighting stance and focused on his qi to create balance in his core. He began to breathe slowly and focused on his mantra of ‘patience yields focus.’

Iverson came in with an attack, and Shiro deflected, spinning around into a low stance, aiming for Iverson’s knees. Iverson caught on quickly and flipped out of the way. Shiro was caught slightly off guard as the older man began pulling moves that he had not seen from the advisor. Iverson caught onto his distraction and went in for a kick to the side, but Shiro quickly lurched back and twisted out of the way and came back in with a punch. Iverson blocked the punch with fluidity and continued to spar with Shiro.

By the end of several rounds, Shiro was breathing heavily, but he felt accomplished since Iverson was breathing with similar distress.

“That’s better cadet, one day you might be able to keep up with me,” Iverson laughed heartily.

Shiro smiled, “yes, sir!” ‘ _I think that is the best compliment I have gotten from him.’_ Iverson excused him and he left to get back to his job of advising the king.

Shiro shook out his arms and began come cool down stretching.

Matt cheered from the sidelines and Shiro looked over in surprise.

“Not bad! I didn’t know you wanted to impress me so much,” Matt grinned.

Shiro chuckled, “I didn’t even know you were here.”

Matt feigned a frown, “ouch! This pains me so!!!!!” He flailed his arms in the air beginning a long soliloquy of ‘oh woe is me!’

Shiro ignored his friend’s rants, but walked with him out of the training area.

Matt finally stopped rambling and smiled softly, “so guess what Pidge did? No guesses? She actually programed Rover to be able to answer almost any mathematical equation!!! Isn’t that amazing!!!?? Isn’t she the best little sister in the whole entire universe????”

Shiro grinned, “yeah that’s pretty amazing. It’s hard to believe she is only 14 when she is so good at alchemy and science.”

Matt grinned wider than Shiro, “That’s cuz I’m her big brother! She gets it from me.”

Shiro chuckled, “sure.”

Matt nodded with an inflated ego that could power a hot air balloon.

“Oh yeah! I came over to get you cuz mom made some of her famous buttermilk biscuits. They are still hot and steamy, and of course light and fluffy...and some homemade raspberry jam,” Matt began to drool.

“That sounds great, maybe I can grab some for my dad too since...you know what? Nevermind, I don’t think he will have time for them anyway...,” Shiro rubbed the back of his head.

“More for us then right, Shiro?,” Matt slapped his back and rushed him back to his family’s quarters.

As soon as they arrived, Matt grabbed some hot biscuits and ran off to see how Rover’s upgrades were coming along. Shiro smiled at how quickly his friend could get so immersed in a project and how much passion Matt had when it came to Pidge’s work.

Pidge beamed happily as soon as she saw Matt come over to help her tinker on Rover’s programs and she waved at Shiro happily.

Shiro waved back and the trio chatted about everything from the party the night before to a discussion on pizza toppings. After a while Colleen called them over, but Matt and Pidge were too distracted by the colors Rover was blinking. Shiro smiled and helped Colleen bring the fresh biscuits and raspberry jam to the dynamic duo.

Shiro headed to the kitchen and graciously thanked Colleen for the biscuits. He sat at the kitchen table and savored each bite of the soft, airy, buttery biscuits and how well it paired with the sweet but slightly tart raspberry jam.

Colleen smiled at her “adopted child” and cleaned up starting to get dinner ready. “You are welcome to stay you know.”

Shiro looked up with a little bit of the raspberry jam on his cheek, “oh...um, thank you. That would be nice, but I should probably get back to my lessons and training.”

Colleen walked over with a napkin and wiped Shiro’s cheek in a motherly fashion. “The lessons can wait you know, besides I’m sure Pidge wants to show you Rover’s new upgrades in more detail,” she chuckled as she pulled out some flour and eggs to make some fresh pasta.

“I’ll make sure to check in on them again before I head out. I really should head back though. Thanks for the afternoon treat!,” Shiro cleaned up the crumbs and helped Colleen wash the dishes.

“You are so helpful though, it’s a shame Matt and Pidge are always too distracted to help me out. You are a good boy.” Colleen proceeded to pat Shiro on the head and pulled him in for a hug. “Your mother would be proud.”

Shiro felt his eyes sting slightly but willed the shimmering tears in his eyes away. He needed this. He felt so alone, so isolated, and so discouraged even though only good things were happening for him. He got the government’s approval for his bill, his father saw that he could do something to help the kingdom, and he even got a compliment from Iverson, and yet he still felt hollow inside and empty.

Colleen squeezed the larger man tighter, “it’s okay to be yourself, and it’s okay if you need a break.”

Shiro smiled gently and nodded, “yes, ma’am.”

Colleen then packed up some extra treats for Shiro and waved him off as he headed out.

~~

Later that evening, Shiro went to his room early. He lied down on his bed and stared at the ceiling. He hadn’t seen his father for the entire day, which was typical. He could have made an official meeting to see him, but he didn’t want to bother him with something that wasn’t important.

‘ _Is that what it is? I don't think I’m important enough to see him? Since when did my self-esteem fall like this...I’ve been dealing with our government a bit, but...I don’t think anything I do is enough for him.’_

Shiro’s arm covered his eyes as he lay there. ‘ _I don’t know what to do...why can’t I be more like him? Why can’t I just focus on my duties without feeling stuck? Why do I feel guilty whenever I don’t act like my father? Why am I talking to myself like this? Why am I feeling sorry for myself?’_

He let out a resigned chuckle. ‘ _I guess tomorrow is another day...but ugh why am I complaining so much to myself? This isn’t helping anyone; gotta do what I always do. Just smile, play along, and make people only see your strengths. I don’t want to be a burden...’_

Shiro took some deep breaths and relaxed his muscles a bit, letting go of some of his tension. He had always felt strongly that he wanted to protect the kingdom since his mother was unable to, and while he started small, he wanted to help with the safety of all the citizens. He knew that his job was to play a bigger role than a normal citizen, so his dreams of the stars would have to wait.

He always pushed his feelings of sadness, longing, and grief deep down into himself and locked them in tight with his façade of cheerful acquiescence and his friendly, somewhat superficial demeanor. But at night, when he was alone, he sometimes let them out a little so he wouldn’t break down completely. He knew that the Holts could probably see straight through him, but Colleen was the only one who would verbalize her thoughts to him.

Shiro slowly slid out of his clothing until he was just in his underwear and let himself relish in the comfort of his soft sheets and cozy blankets. He wished he could just be a ‘Shiro-burrito’ for a good week to rejuvenate himself, but he knew that wasn't possible. He yawned and closed his eyes, allowing himself to fantasize about a life in the sea of stars.

Kova stared at Shiro through his window, eyes glowing, but unseen.

Haggar laughed to herself and murmured, “oh this is too good, yes feel worse for yourself and isolate yourself more, I have a nice surprise coming for you.”

Kova eyes glowed a little brighter as an enchantment permeated the prince’s room.

Kova gracefully disappeared from Shiro’s window and returned to her master’s side.

~~

The next morning, Shiro woke up a little groggy even though he went to bed early. He listened for his little bluebird buddy, but he couldn’t hear any of the usual chirping. “Hey? Little guy?,” Shiro looked to the window, but saw nothing but the morning fog. The fog was thicker than usual and it held steady, grey, and low in the sky. Shiro rolled out of the comfort of his bed and opened the window. He didn’t see the little bird in sight and he couldn’t help but feel a twinge of disappointment. He left a spray millet bundle on his windowsill in case the bird came back later in the day.

Shiro went about his usual routine and again ran down and around the path he always takes. He opted to eat back at the castle that day so he could start his lessons early, but stopped to give the little lop bunny his daily treat, this time a carrot. He breathed in deeply and looked out at the lake. He saw a couple of ducks, but he couldn’t find any turtles.

Shiro furrowed his brow, but he didn’t know what to make of it. He sighed and looked down at the bunny, “hey you...stay safe okay? I know you are on castle grounds and all, but it’s really quiet here...and something doesn’t feel right.” The bunny kept chewing and munching, and leaned against Shiro’s ankle as he spoke. Shiro melted and stayed a little longer to pet the bunny. He felt so exhausted, like he hadn’t slept at all.

Later that day he returned to the solace of his room and looked at his window. The spray millet seed sprigs were still sitting there untouched. Shiro’s face was unreadable, but he felt sadness bubbling up inside. Even though it was just a little bird who didn’t show up for one day, his feelings of grief, loss, and sadness were so strong inside, it was like an already taught string being pulled just a little further, ready to snap.

It felt like losing everything he had lost in his life all over again. 

~~

The following morning, Shiro woke up to silence. The fog was palpable, so thick it looked almost solid making it extremely hard to see. There were no birds chirping, nor his little bluebird friend at the window. Again he opened his window to put some millet out for him in case he returned, but he knew it would likely go uneaten.

He didn’t feel like doing his usual morning routine, still feeling raw from his feelings the nights before, but he trudged on. He completed his exercises and went on his morning jog. He felt even more tired than the day before and rather groggy, but he remembered to grab a carrot and some parsley for his little bunny friend. He slowed down and watched the koi fish swim as he passed the river and the pond. He smiled softly at them and in his mind they were already dragons because they were still alive and still persevering.

He meandered to the large lake and forest and he felt a chill through his body as he looked closely at the lake. He didn’t see any ducks. Maybe they migrated for the winter?

Shiro felt a little nudge on his ankle and saw the little bunny begging for the delicious food on his hind legs. He chuckled and fed the little bunny. “Nice to see you too,” Shiro smiled. He sat on the grass and pet the little guy, enjoying the munching sounds the bunny made. “So do you know where all the ducks and turtles went?,” the bunny looked up at Shiro, but then continued eating.

“I guess not,” Shiro chuckled, rubbing the back of his neck sheepishly. He knew people would think he was crazy for talking to a little bunny, but he spent a lot of his childhood chatting to the animals in the castle yard since he wasn’t allowed outside of the castle gates often. He made friends where he could.

He pet the bunny again and said his goodbye and slowly jogged off back to the palace.

~~

“So you are saying that all the animals are going missing and that there are only fish and a bunny left?,” Matt repeated with a deadpan expression. “You must be half asleep dude, here let me give you some coffee, you don’t look too good.”

Shiro looked down, “yeah I’ve been really tired the past couple of days, I feel like I had all the energy zapped out of me.”

Matt looked concerned, “look, you are like the most fit guy I know, and the most energetic. Heck usually I’m the one who is half asleep and needing a nap. Plus coming from a family of nerds, you are the only one I know who even exercises. But if you are that tired, maybe you just need some time off. You know, just to get some energy back.”

Matt poured Shiro some coffee that filled the room with a rich fragrance. Shiro relished in the delicious aroma and felt his body’s tension calm down. Matt added some raw sugar and fresh cream to the complex brew and he added a little caramel to enhance the fruity notes of the coffee beans he chose.

Shiro thanked him wholeheartedly and sipped the deliciously caffeinated drink. He held his hands around the cup, relishing in the warmth it provided. He joked, “it’s like a hug in a cup.”

Matt grinned, “what can I say, I make one mean cup of coffee. Besides I perfected it since Pidge and I sometimes have all nighters discussing different theories and testing them out on random projects. Plus my dad is like a total caffeine addict.”

Shiro smiled, “remember that time you drank so much coffee, you didn’t sleep for almost a week?”

Matt laughed, “yeah by the end of it, I was totally delirious, but I came up with some pretty good ideas during that time.”

Shiro chuckled, “yup, and your writing looked like chicken scratch and none of us are able to decipher it to this day.”

Shiro continued to drink the creamy coffee, “you know this is like dessert and coffee in one.”

Matt smirked, “yeah well I remember how well it went when I gave you black coffee that one time...it ended up all over me when you spit it out.”

Shiro blushed, “I...well it was really bitter...” Shiro pouted a little.

Matt patted him on the back, “yeah yeah, just enjoy it cuz I don’t make coffee for just anyone.”

Shiro smiled again, “thank you...and sorry for bothering you with all this animal talk, but it really seems like they all went away.”

Matt shrugged, “it’s probably the weather or something. They are all probably getting ready to hibernate and stuff. I am pretty sure I saw some squirrels today, so I don’t think they are all gone.”

Shiro nodded slowly, “yeah you are probably right. I don’t know why I’m thinking that something is wrong.”

“Do you want me to go look around with you? I’m sure we can have Rover do scans of the area to see what animals he finds.”

Shiro shook his head, “it’s okay, if it is still troubling me later, that would be an excellent option though.”

Matt grinned, “no problem! Now let’s see if there is any leftovers I can get you. Coffee is one thing, but you need to keep your strength up and eat!”

Pidge popped into the kitchen, “I smell coffee.”

Matt and Shiro laughed and Matt started up some more coffee. Pidge smiled, “I love me some bean juice.” Matt gave her a glare, “hey! You know that this miraculous drink is like a gift from the gods, and you are calling it ‘bean juice’!?”

Pidge nodded, “but like...it’s like you are grinding up a bean, and then sticking the beans in water...so it’s like bean juice. Or I guess maybe bean milk, kinda like soy milk? Or maybe I should call it bean tea.”

Matt scoffed, “you may be my adorable little sis, but this will leave a scar on your big bro.”

Pidge rolled her eyes as Matt pretended to cry, but he made her a delicious cup of coffee nonetheless.

The trio ate up most of Colleen’s leftovers, which were just what Shiro needed to perk him up a bit. He thoroughly enjoyed her cooking and the flavors and textures danced on his tongue. He didn’t realize how hungry he was until the food was right in front of him, but he was very grateful for Matt going ‘mom-mode’ for him.

After the food was gone, Shiro sat for a while half-listening to Matt and Pidge discuss various magical algorithms. The two were like peas in a pod and they finished each other’s sentences with ease.

Shiro’s eyes struggled to stay focused and he leaned forward to rest his head on his arms, within minutes he fell asleep.

Pidge glanced over, “I don’t think I’ve ever seen him sleep. Doesn’t he usually just do work and exercise nonstop?”

Matt softly chuckled, “yeah, and to think, I just gave him all that caffeine. Ah well the poor guy really seemed exhausted. He was getting pretty upset that there are less birds and animals around today.”

Pidge thought about it, “well I mean it’s fall so a lot of animals might start migrating. Did you know that some butterflies will fly 1500 miles to migrate during the fall? Or that there was a tuna that swam 25,000 miles while migrating?”

Matt nodded about to join in on trivia, but he stopped himself. “That’s what I thought too, but I guess he is so tired that he’s getting a little illogical.”

Pidge nodded, “yeah lack of sleep and lack of caffeine does that. You should make him more coffee for when he wakes up.” Pidge smirked at her brother and pulled out a pen, “you wanna?”

Matt grinned, “oh hell yeah.”

The two got to work on drawing various doodles on Shiro’s face as he slept peacefully.

Later that evening he woke up and Rover was sitting there with him making little beeps and sounds that he found quite soothing. “Oh...hey Rover.” He yawned and rubbed the sleep out of his eyes.

Rover beeped playfully as though it recognized Shiro’s voice, it then floated off and returned with Pidge.

“Oh hey there sleeping beauty,” Pidge said with a lilt in her voice. She choked back laughter as she looked at the doodles on his face and how the white tuft of hair was sticking up and off to the side, making him look even goofier.

Shiro tilted his head to the side and looked up at her sleepily, “Huh? What’s so funny?”

Pidge smirked, “uh...nothing! Just thinking of a silly joke about alchemy...you would have had to have been there.”

Shiro looked a little confused, but let the topic go. He stretched his muscles a bit and looked at the clock on the wall. He went into a complete panic, “oh quiznak!! I missed Iverson’s training...he is going to kill me. I finally got a compliment from the guy and now he is literally going to rip me a new one.”

He then felt a firm hand on his shoulder, “don’t worry about that. I already told him that you were here ‘studying’ and that I didn’t want your ‘studies’ interrupted.” Sam Holt peered down at Shiro and let out a hearty laugh while stating the obvious, “wow you look ridiculous.”

Shiro looked up at Sam with a quizzical expression, “you...you got me out of Iverson’s training?”

Sam nodded, “Matt told me you needed a break and that you fell asleep at the kitchen table so I am counting that as your ‘lesson’ for the day. I hope you ‘learned’ a lot.” He exaggerated his words by gesturing quotation marks with his hands.

“Thank you so much, sir! It won’t happen again, sir!,” Shiro said in a rote manner.

Sam chuckled, “I guess the lesson itself is, you need to take care of yourself better. It damn well can happen again if you need it. And if I have to make that part of your lesson plan, I will add it. And from what I can see, I don’t think you would make very good grades in self-care.”

Shiro blushed feeling extremely embarrassed, making the scribbles on his cheeks take a flush hue. “I...will take that into consideration, sir.”

Sam sighed, “you know, I’ve known you since before you were a glimmer in your parent’s eyes and you are still calling me sir.” Sam pouted and gave Shiro puppy eyes in a Matt-like fashion.

Shiro smiled, “I mean Sam...uel...Mr. Holt...sir?” He gave it his best, but he still struggled after Iverson had ingrained him with responding to everyone as ‘sir’ and ‘ma’am.’

Sam chuckled, “okay, I give that hmmm a ‘C+’. Better keep working on it. And go wash your face, I think it will help freshen you up.”

Shiro touched his ink covered cheek and knew exactly what Matt and Pidge had been up to. “Yeah I better go do that,” his stormy grey eyes twinkled with a knowing look.

Matt poked his head into the kitchen and pouted, “awww spoilsport. Thanks a lot dad.”

~~

The next morning the sky was crystal clear with no fog in sight. Shiro pulled the deliciously warm blanket over his face, not used to the sunlight shining in his room so early in the day, but eventually rolled out of its comfortable embrace. He checked the window, and there was no one he could see or hear. He left some birdseed by the window just in case and got himself ready to take on the day. He put on his usual charcoal colored long sleeve shirt that fit him like a glove, black vest with white piping, and comfortable dark grey pants.

He decided that today would be the day he took things at a slower pace. He decided to forgo his usual workout routine and casually walked through the palace, enjoying the beautiful tapestries and historical artifacts that were remnants of his ancestors. The beautiful sculpted pearlescent entryways had an ethereal shift in color as he walked by that he never really paid attention to. The way the silvery lights glinted off the shimmering walls caught his eye as he walked slowly.

He always appreciated the sites he took in, but he never took time to savor them. Shiro slowly headed to the kitchen and there was a large bento box and water bottle already waiting for him. The chef smiled, “I know you enjoy your picnics, and it’s such a lovely day that I made sure to pack you a lot. And don’t think I don’t know that you have been sneaking out vegetables for your animal friends. Don’t worry I added a bundle of beet greens and some carrots too.”

Shiro beamed, “thank you very much! I really appreciate it. And I probably should have come clean about the veggies sooner. I apologize for any inconvenience.”

“No problem at all,” the chef smiled and waved him out. Moments after Shiro left the kitchen the chef vanished into thin air.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much for your kudos and bookmarks <3 I really appreciate it! Comments would be amazing, don't be shy ^^ (Okay I say that, but I'm pretty shy so...) Feedback would be awesome.
> 
> I hope I'm doing an okay job on this...and I'm sorry if the flow was awkward T_T 
> 
> Next chapter will earn that E rating, and I'll try to make sure to put a warning in the notes just in case. There will be a lot of shameless smut later in the fic but for this chapter, it's building up the story and plot. Sorry for those of you who just want a PWP kind of situation ^^;;
> 
> Anyone else excited and scared after that Season 6 trailer?? Gahhh I can't wait! 10 more days....
> 
> Anyway feel free to say hi or poke me on tumblr or twitter @tsukemennoodles


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Non-con/Rape warning ahead~~ E-rating earned in this chapter

The crystal clear sky was a soft, airy blue and there wasn’t a cloud in sight. The weather was pleasant and temperate, a perfect day for a picnic. Shiro slowly walked down his usual jogging route, saying his good mornings to the guards by the palace gates. He inhaled deeply as he entered the woods, enjoying the way the fresh smelling trees and plants made him feel alive. He looked up at the sky through the leaves and watched the way the light filtered through, glittering and dancing across the shadows.

Shiro eventually meandered to his favorite area by the lake, where it was still shaded by the trees, but he could see the cooling, serene water shimmering in front of him. He laid out a large, plush black and purple plaid picnic blanket on the grass and placed the picnic bento and water bottle down gently. He took another deep breath and the air had a vaguely sweet aroma that he couldn’t place, but it was a calming fragrance that was heady and warm.

He proceeded to take off his heavy, grey boots and walked over to the water. He slowly stepped in feeling the refreshing water ebb and flow against his ankles and he felt like a kid again as he ran his foot through forwards and backwards. He smiled and stretched his arms in the air, and then splashed the water a little.

He knew he was acting like a child, and his father would probably look down on him in disdain if he knew he was behaving like this, but he didn’t care. It was like Matt telling him to have a self-care day took the weight of the world off his shoulders, even for just one day. 

He was grateful for that since normally he wouldn’t dare take any time for himself. He was already selfless by nature and he never wants to be a burden for others, so taking a day slowly was not the easiest thing to do. Matt’s permission gave him the freedom that he had needed for a long time.

Shiro smiled and spun around in the water one more time before heading over to his picnic area to dry off. It wasn’t much, but he already felt his heart and mind healing a little from all of the daily stress he had been experiencing.

The air was rather still and no leaves were rustling. He looked around and didn’t see the little lop bunny that usually came to visit him. He sighed and attributed it to the season and that maybe the bunny went to go burrow somewhere else. He put the carrot and beet greens by the tree that had little bunny nibble marks on it from days past, just in case he came by.

Shiro carefully unwrapped the charcoal and purple patterned furoshiki and lifted the lid on his bento and his stormy grey eyes widened at all the detailed and delicate foods in the box. There was a bed of rice shaped like a little bear with an egg blanket on top, with little boiled eggs shaped like little hearts next to it. There was a myriad of colorful sushi, temaki, lightly fried tempura, and some crispy chicken karaage.

The delicious fragrances wafted up to his nose and he felt so nostalgic having traditional foods and his favorite kyaraben bear in the box. He smiled softly and laid out the delicious meal in front of him. He felt hungrier than usual, especially considering he didn’t work out that morning, and began to eat the delectable foods. 

He relished in the lightness and freshness of each bite, the crispy crunch of the tempura to the sweet umami flavor of the soy sauce swirling in with the fresh, rich flavors of the maguro and hamachi. He savored each bite and appreciated all of the work that went into his picnic lunch. He would have to thank the kitchen staff later for making him such a special bento. He ate his fill and felt satisfied and very relaxed after he took his last bite. He cleaned up and rested heavily against the tree.

Shiro felt rather thirsty after all that rich food and he sipped on his water. The water had a vaguely salty taste to it and he wondered if it was an electrolyte blend this time. He downed the rest of it in several large gulps, a few drips trickling down his chin. The drops sparkles like sunlight and then vanished before they could fall. 

He dropped the water bottle and leaned back, feeling uncomfortably warm and his head feeling foggy. He tugged on the collar of his shirt, swallowing thickly. Shiro’s warm, caramel grey eyes felt so heavy, his vision become bleary and blurred. He rubbed his forehead and felt a rivulet of sweat dribble down the back of his neck. He used the tree to prop himself up closing his eyes enveloping him in darkness.

~~

Shiro slowly woke up in a haze feeling warm and slick all over. Shiro’s eyes snapped open, but nothing but the darkness greeted him. He looked around, trying to gain his bearings, but he couldn’t see anything. It was like a void, a pocket of space and emptiness, but he also didn’t feel like he was alone. ‘ _This must be a dream,’_ Shiro told himself, reminding himself that patience yields focus. 

He could still smell the delightful fragrance from the forest. An intoxicating aroma that continued to make him feel warm and fuzzy all over. His body on edge, with every physical sensation heightened and alert. 

Shiro felt something cool and slippery creeping up his legs, leaving warm, sensual sensations in its wake. It also felt slimy and had a bit of stickiness to it, and each place it passed, his body was sizzling with sparks of tingly lightning and he felt extremely sensitive and exposed. 

He felt sweat trickling down his neck, slowly creating a rivulet down his bare, muscled torso. It trailed down, sending a cool contrast to the heat his body was exuding. The small drip of liquid was quickly sucked up and absorbed by this amorphous creature that was slowly encompassing his body.

Shiro gasped as he felt light suction over his inner thighs, each area of contact with the creature made his mind reel and his heart thrummed with excitement. He squeezed his thighs together, trying to push whatever was coating his body away. He didn’t want this, but his body reacted and melted into the sizzling tingles that he had never before experienced. 

He keened as it began to pry his powerful, muscled thighs apart, and it slid against the sensitive underside of his balls. Shiro gasped loudly, “hnrg...ahh! St...stop!”

It continued a light suctioning, spreading like liquid fire and aphrodisiac everywhere it touched. It moved languidly and effortlessly, caressing each area, leaving him slick and wet. 

Shiro gasped and moaned, he panted heavily not sure whether he was trying to pull away or push into the creature to give him more delicious pleasure. The slimy goo rolled under his thick balls, past his perineum, leaving wet trails, and spread his muscular butt cheeks apart, laving up against his tight entrance. 

Shiro’s mind was foggy and he had never been touched so intimately, but he couldn't resist canting his hips back to try to get more contact with the new intense sensations. He mewled as the slimy creature slowly slid up and around his back, relaxing his tight muscles as it trailed around. 

The prince gave into the sensations and let the slime creature knead the knots out of his back. It slowly slid down his body and continued to lap at his sensitive opening. 

The slime wrapped around his waist to trail up and suck on his nipples, bringing each one to pert hardness. He panted and tried to reach down to touch his hardening length, but the slime trailed around his arms, keeping them suspended in the air. 

The prince began to thrust into nothing, his cock dripping pre-cum from the tip as he felt the slime stretching out his tight, heated entrance and entering him little by little.

Shiro moaned loudly, unconsciously pushing his hips back. The slime slid around his hips, sucking on each sensitive area and memorizing his entire body. It slowly meandered across his hips and dipped down to slide over his neglected cock. It was dribbling precum and the creature swirled the cum around the tip. 

Shiro keened and panted, trying to buck his hips forward, but he couldn’t move. Some drops of cum slid down his sensitive shaft, along a thick vein that trailed to the soft, underside of his cock, dripping and splattering onto his balls. Shiro squeaked and he tried to squeeze his legs back together, but the slime kept his thighs apart, with no intent in letting him go.

Shiro felt sizzling darts of pleasure and saw nothing but white when the creature began to create a vacuum of suction around his thick, pulsing cock. Shiro arched his back and screamed in pleasure. 

As if on cue, the creature pushed more of the aphrodisiac slimy goo into his loosened opening and flooded him inside. It slid around and splashed, suctioned, and caressed his prostate while swirling and hammering him from the inside. 

Shiro’s body began to convulse at the way his oversensitive skin was being caressed, but the creature was far from finished. It slowly pulled out of him, creating an obscene wet, squelching noise. 

Shiro whimpered at the sensation of the creature suctioning against the ring of muscle around his entrance as it pulled away. Shiro pushed his hips back as far as he could, missing the feeling of being filled by its luscious wetness.

The slimy creature maneuvered Shiro onto all fours, and the prince raised his ass into the air pushing back hoping to feel it in him again. His hole was gaping and dripping wet drops and the ring of muscle quivered in wait. 

Slowly it slid around him taking more form, the creature still felt wet and slimy, but it was gradually taking shape. He felt slimy hands slide over his torso, with finger-like appendages grazing over his nipples, squeezing them, and rolling the nubs between them. 

Shiro keened loudly and he felt the slimy hands trail down and massage his hips, and gliding down further to grip his thick, dribbling, neglected cock.

It swirled the copious amounts of precum up and down the shaft of Shiro’s engorged, thick cock, paying close attention to each vein and trailing its newly formed nails softly over them creating deliciously sizzling bolts of pleasure up and down his body. 

Its other hand squeezed Shiro’s butt cheeks and teasingly ran its fingers against the gaping hole. Shiro’s knees began to buckle, but the creature kept him propped up and began to lick and suck on the pink ring of muscle, pushing his ass cheeks impossibly wide apart with its tongue-like appendage, as it slowly pumped his pulsing cock up and down, swirling it’s thumb over the tip sending fiery sizzles throughout Shiro’s entire being.

“Ahh...AHHH nnngh!,” the prince mewled and he tried to grip the ground below him. He couldn’t tell it if was grass or something else, his body too on fire to sense what was under his hands. He raised his ass higher and spread his thighs as far apart as they could go to give the creature better access. 

The creature became more and more human-like as it learned what Shiro’s body felt like, every crevice, each curve, inside and out.

It drew its hands back making the prince whimper at the loss of contact. It gripped his ass cheeks hard, spreading them wide open and pushed its own, newly formed thick cock against his opening. 

It slowly impaled the prince on its long, thick, slick erection, making Shiro gasp and cry out at each inch that entered him. It knew to push against the sensitive bundle of flesh deep inside him and it thrust against it, creating wet, lewd, squelching noises with each subsequent thrust. 

The slimey creature dribbled so much intoxicating fluid into Shiro that it began to froth and stimulate him further. Shiro squeezed his muscles tightly at each entry, sucking the creature into him further and trapping it inside before it could pull out again to repeat the sensuous and sparkling torture.

The creature reached around to pump Shiro’s slippery, thick cock in time with its thrusts, snapping its newly formed hips to ensure that its cock would hit the hypersensitive tissues inside Shiro’s body. 

The creature pulled out and lifted the prince off of his hands and knees, turning him around so he was straddling the now-formed body beneath him. Shiro could still see nothing, and his mind was only focused on the pleasure he was receiving. 

He couldn’t think. His body took control and he began to rock his hips against the creature’s cock, relishing in the feeling of their cocks rubbing against each other, each touch sizzling and sparking through his body.

He pulled back and leaned down, and while he couldn't see, he was able to find the thick cock in front of him. The prince gripped the glistening cock with his hand and felt the heavy balls in the other. He playfully squeezed the creature’s balls and flicked his tongue over the tip of its cock, tasting the aphrodisiac substance that had been plaguing him since he fell asleep. 

He relished in the sweet flavor and began to lick up and down, treating its length as a delicious popsicle, licking up every drip of dewy liquid that it released. 

He bobbed his head up and down, sucking and running his teeth against the veins in the creatures cock, gliding his tongue all around while caressing its balls in his lightly calloused hand.

The more he sucked and swallowed, the more the aphrodisiac made his heart beat faster, the harder his cock became, and the more he writhed against its body. He pushed his thick erection against the creature’s thigh, trying to get more pressure as he continued to lick and slurp more fervently. 

The slimy creature released more and more aphrodisiac into the prince’s willing mouth and he greedily drank every drop and licked his lips wanting more. 

Shiro pressed the flat of his tongue against the thick head and swirled his tongue over the slit at the tip. He then swallowed the rigid cock and let the creature deep throat him until his eyes became teary and he felt a stinging feeling in the back of his throat. 

Each time the creature slammed its hips up into Shiro’s willing mouth, it released more of the aphrodisiac, sweet liquid that was driving Shiro crazy. The prince pulled the creature further into his mouth by pulling on its powerful, muscular ass to get its hips even closer to him.

The creature pulled away from the prince’s mouth slightly only to have Shiro pull it closer and dance his tongue around its thick, throbbing appendage. The creature wrapped its arms around to pull the back of Shiro’s head down as far as he could go and bunny fucked into his face. 

Tears were streaming out of Shiro’s eyes but he couldn’t get himself to pull away, he needed more of that divine erotic drink that the creature released. 

Eventually, Shiro shifted to straddle the creature once more, desperately wanting to be filled, and he wiggled the cleft of his round ass against the creature’s cock. He dragged his balls and tender underside of his cock against the creature’s ripped stomach feeling tight muscles stimulating his erection with each buck of his hips. 

The creature lifted Shiro up and pulled his butt cheeks apart while kneading them and squeezing them with its hands. Shiro tilted back against the thick, dripping cock and slowly dropped his hips over the slick, wet length. 

“Hnngh!! Ahh...Mmm!!,” Shiro couldn't form words to describe the incredible sensation of having the thick, luscious cock back inside of him. He began to bounce on the creature, sliding his hips up and slamming them down, over and over. He twisted his hips as he dropped down, trying to get the engorged cock in him even deeper. 

He bounced at a punishing pace, feeling the cock release more and more aphrodisiac into his body, flooding him with more thick substance.

The slick sound of their hips slapping together echoed and the prince leaned back, bouncing on full display for the creature, his own cock bobbing up and down against its muscled belly. The creature’s eyes glowed an eerie yellow and watched as Shiro gave it a show of his most intimate places. 

Shiro panted and he felt his balls tighten as the creature’s cock brushed against his sweet, sensitive prostate, splashing even more thick liquid into him. He reached down to touch himself, needing release only to have the creature slap his hand away.

The creature flipped Shiro around so he was now on his back and it thrust into him and drove forward drawing gasps and loud moans from the prince’s lips. 

Yellow eyes stared down, and savagely rode Shiro, pounding into him, making loud slapping and squelching noises where their bodies were joined, frothy liquid dribbling out down the underside of Shiro’s butt. 

The prince met each thrust from the creature with urgency; the pleasure becoming so intense, it was almost unbearable. Shiro panted and screamed in hedonistic joy when the creature flicked its tongue against his nipples and grazed its teeth along them.

The creature slid its hands down and began to squeeze and tug on Shiro’s dripping cock and continued pumping him with each thrust. It shifted its angle, making sure to hit his bundle of soft nerve tissue with each thrust, making Shiro moan wildly. 

He felt his vision shift to white and could only see stars as the creature began to fuck and pump him into completion. The prince could feel himself becoming undone, he could feel his stomach tightening and his balls drawing back as he began to squeeze the creature’s cock, trapping it inside him, trying to milk it for all it was worth. 

Shiro moaned and let out a gasp of sheer ecstasy as his large, oversensitive cock released streams of thick, white, sticky cum, splashing all over the creature’s body. The creature continued to thrust into him, riding out Shiro’s orgasm and then it too released copious amounts of a thick, creamy substance into Shiro’s abused entrance, only to slowly dribble back out as the creature pulled its softening cock out.

Shiro’s heart was racing, his mind completely blank, and his body covered in cum. Each time he tried to move, more cum dripped out of his ass and coated his thighs. He felt like the creature took something away from him, but he couldn’t put his finger on it and began to wonder when he would wake up from this dream.

Shiro was far too exhausted and satiated to keep his eyes open, let alone to focus on his fleeting thoughts. The prince drifted off to sleep, his body still tingling from the afterglow of the intense encounter.

The creature stood tall next to Shiro’s body and it smirked, slowly contorting its face to look exactly like the man he just ravished. Project Kuron was now ready.

Kuron looked down at Shiro and watched as he began to shrink, slowly being encompassed by the slimy goo all over his body. The slime contorted him and slowly began to re-form him. 

His body flattened and pulled in, his powerful thighs became his new defining feature, his hands and feet became webbed and tacky, the once pristine creamy peach flesh becoming green and murky. The cum on his body turned into sticky green slimy mucous, coating him completely.

The only remainder of his humanity was a streak of white across his forehead, like the white forelock he once had. Shiro felt cold and empty, and completely out of sorts.

Shiro’s groggy eyes opened as he slowly began to wake up. He had the weirdest dream and he had no idea how long he had been unconscious. He turned to his side and noticed that the blades of grass looked as tall as he was and he felt immediate panic. He snapped his head around looking to see where he was. The area looked familiar, but at the same time, completely different. 

Shiro’s ears were ringing and he couldn’t tell if he was still in a dream or if he was awake. His body felt strange, it still felt tingly, as though magic were coursing through him. He knew the feeling of magical tingles thanks to Matt hitting him with a spell or two on accident. 

‘ _Wha...what happened?’_ Shiro’s mind was frantic, trying to piece together what happened. He was enjoying a self-care day and fell asleep and had a strange dream... ‘ _it...was a dream wasn’t it?’_

He heard a chuckle behind him and looked up to see his own face looking back down at him.

“Aww what a cute little froggy,” Kuron grinned. “I just love animals SOOOO much,” he drawled mockingly as he leaned down and picked Shiro up. 

“Oh thanks for the outfit by the way,” Kuron smirked. 

Shiro was in a panic, he felt like he was still dreaming and tried to search for his voice, but only a croak came out. He panicked further, resulting in more croaks, his long, sticky tongue not allowing him to verbalize or make coherent sounds.

He squirmed, trying to get away and Kuron chuckled and taunted in the same deep baritone voice that he used to speak with.

The prince couldn’t understand what was happening, but he knew he needed to get away from this imposter. He twisted and utilized the slipperiness of his body to maneuver out of his grasp and he fell to the ground with a thud. 

He was hurting all over and Kuron reached down to grab him again. Shiro lurched over and hopped toward the water in an effort to lose Kuron in the chase. Kuron reached down and Shiro used his right arm as leverage to pull out of his hand yet again.

“Damn slippery thing,” Kuron growled and reached down again, harshly grabbing Shiro’s right arm and twisted it using too much force and ripped it clean off of his little body. The pain was so intense that Shiro thought he was going to die. Blood squirted everywhere, and Shiro pulled his left arm over to stop the bleeding. 

He saw the slimy green appendage and looked at the webbed hand in shock, but the pain didn’t let him linger for long. He wrapped the webbed hand around his shoulder and hugged himself tightly. Kuron went to grab him again, but a little lop ear bunny bit him on the ankle.

Kuron whipped around and kicked the bunny into the tree. The little bunny rolled over and went to attack Kuron again and the imitation prince started to laugh, “this is rich, you have a bunny guard? How ridiculous!”

Shiro watched in horror as Kuron went to attack the little bunny, but the bunny ran swiftly, jumping up with as much force as he could muster, and kicked him in the face. 

The lop-eared bunny zoomed over to Shiro and used his body to protect the writhing frog.

Kuron was about to attack the bunny when he heard noise; he recognized the voices from when he delved into Shiro’s memories. They were guards who he talked to daily. He furrowed his brows and pulled away, knowing Shiro would never attack animals.

Shiro began to move and Kuron quickly kicked him in the face, smashing the bridge of his nose, skidding Shiro into the water. The bunny watched in horror and charged at Kuron. Kuron picked up the bunny, holding him hard in place. The bunny struggled to get out of his grasp and Kuron said sweetly, “aww you are such a cute little bunny aren’t you.”

One guard chuckled, “you and that bunny are so cute your majesty.”

Kuron feigned a smile, “yeah he is so adorable! We really gotta protect these little guys.”

The bunny bit his hand, but Kuron didn’t even flinch. “I should probably let him go play, though since that’s what bunnies do best,” he put the bunny down and it scurried off toward the lake to see if he could find Shiro.

Shiro thought his life was draining out of him. ‘ _This...this is it isn’t it? I just...I need to live and stop that imposter from hurting our kingdom...I...’_ Shiro fell out of consciousness. Various fish swam over, smelling the blood in the water, but for some reason they let him be, perhaps it was all the times Shiro fed them treats in the past. 

He continued to drift in and out of consciousness, being slowly pulled by current that fed into the river.

The bunny watched and he tried to follow Shiro downstream, but he couldn’t keep up on land. He sat down watching helplessly as Shiro floated away.

Kuron waved goodbye to the guards and focused his facial expression to reflect the ones he saw in Shiro’s memories. He wrapped up all of the picnic goods and packed the empty bento. Kuron gathered the picnic accessories and jogged back to the palace to begin phase 2.

Haggar watched through Kova’s eyes and while wanting to ridicule the prince more, he was as good as dead. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you guys were ok with a majority of this chapter being non-con. The premise was that the amorphous magical goo formed itself into Kuron. My bff keeps making jokes that I just had Shiro raped by food goo >~<|||| Now I can’t unthink it. 
> 
> Also I really deviate from the standard Frog Price fairy tale but it does involve a prince who gets turned into a frog. Do you guys think the title is appropriate? Any help would be awesome!
> 
> I know some of you probably want Shiro and Keith together asap, but this is a bit of a slow burn fic ^^;;
> 
> Comments are love <3 and thank you so much to everyone who left a kudos! It really motivates me to keep going. I don't even know if anyone even likes this, but hopefully you do ^_^
> 
> Feel free to say hi! My tumblr and Twitter are both tsukemennoodles

**Author's Note:**

> Okay this was a little self-indulgent since I always wanted to write a Voltron fractured fairy tale. As I mentioned in the tags, I flagged this as a rape/non-con, but again the only part of that will be magic related and I will make a note in the chapter in case someone is uncomfortable. I'm so sorry for any grammatical or spelling errors, I'll try to proof read, but I tend to glaze over my mistakes and not notice them ^^;;
> 
> Please, please, please let me know what you think <3 Any feedback is extremely appreciated :3
> 
> And I'm terrible at tagging so please let me know if there are some other tags needed.
> 
> Find me at tumblr and twitter @tsukemennoodles


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